Cooler system

ABSTRACT

A cooler system includes a metal holder base, a mounting structure that secures the metal holder base to a circuit board, a curved heat pipe, which has a mounting portion fastened to one through hole on the metal holder base and a cooling portion extending from the mounting portion to the outside of the metal holder base and the circuit board at an angle, and a heat sink fastened to the cooling portion of the heat pipe outside the metal holder base and the circuit board in a parallel relationship relative to the circuit board for dissipation heat absorbed by the heat pipe from a heat source at the circuit board into the outside open air far from the circuit board efficiently.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cooler means for use in an electronic device and more particularly, to a cooler system, which absorbs heat from the heat source and transfers absorbed heat to a heat sink for dissipation into the outside open air far from the heat source efficiently.

2. Description of the Related Art

Following fast development of information technology, high operation speed electronic products such as personal computers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, and etc., have been continuously developed. Following the step of Network Era, computer has become one of the requisites of most people. Further, during the operation of a CPU of a computer or a chip of an electronic device, the CPU or the chip generates much heat. A relatively higher speed CPU or chip generates a relatively greater amount of heat energy. In order to keep normal functioning, heat must be quickly dissipated from the CPU or the chip during its operation. Conventionally, a heat sink is used with a cooling fan to dissipate heat from the CPU of a computer or the chip of an electronic device. The heat sink absorbs heat from the heat source. The cooling fan induces currents of air toward gaps between the radiation fins of the heat sink, thereby dissipating heat from the heat sink into the outside open air. In order to improve the heat dissipation efficiency, a heat pipe may be used and connected between the heat source and the heat sink. The heat pipe absorbs heat from the heat source, and transfers absorbed heat to the heat sink for dissipation.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional cooler system. According to this design, the cooler system comprises a heat sink A formed of a plurality of radiation fins A1 that are arranged in parallel, a heat absorber module C, a plurality of heat pipes B connected between the heat sink A and the heat absorber module C, and a clamp D, which is fastened to an interface card F to hold the heat absorber module C in close contact with a heat source D1 at the interface card F. This design of cooler system is still not satisfactory in function due to the following drawbacks:

1. Because the heat sink A is kept perpendicular to the interface card F, the cooler system greatly increases the height of the interface card F. Therefore, the interface card F requires much motherboard installation space. After installation of the interface card F with the cooler system in the motherboard, the interface card F and the cooler system may affect the installation of other component parts in the motherboard.

2. Because the heat sink A is kept perpendicular to the interface card F, the interface card F stops currents of air induced by the cooling fan at the motherboard from flowing toward the heat sink A, resulting in low heat dissipation efficiency of the heat sink A.

FIG. 7 shows another design of cooler system according to the prior art. According to this design, the cooler system comprises a metal holder block G1, which has a flat top contact wall G11 disposed in close contact with a processor H1 at a display card H and a heat transferring bottom block G12, a heat sink K, and a plurality of heat pipes G2 connected between the metal holder block G1 and the heat sink K. The heat pipes G2 each have one end respectively inserted through and fixedly secured to the heat transferring bottom block G12 of the metal holder block G1 and the other end, namely, the free end G22 respectively inserted through the heat sink K to the outside of the case of the computer. Further, each heat pipe G2 has a U-turn G21 between the metal holder block G1 and the heat sink K. This design of cooler system also has drawbacks as follows:

1. The heat pipes G2 have a certain length and hold the heat sink K at a distance away from the metal holder block G1, therefore the heat transferring speed of the heat pipes G2 is low.

2. The heat pipes G2 hold the heat sink K at one lateral side of the display card H in a perpendicular manner, thereby increasing the installation height of the display card H in the motherboard.

3. Because the heat sink K is fastened to the free ends G22 of the heat pipes G2 and the free ends G22 of the heat pipes G2 extend respectively to the outside of the case of the computer, the surrounding temperature outside the computer may affect the performance of the heat sink K. Further, the free ends G22 of the heat pipes G2 may be covered with outside dust, affecting the performance of the heat sink K.

The aforesaid two prior art designs greatly increase the installation height of the interface card, affecting the installation of other members in the motherboard. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a cooler system that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooler system comprises a metal holder base, which has at least one through hole, a mounting structure fastened to a circuit board to secure the metal holder base to the circuit board, and a cooler module, which comprises a heat sink, and at least one heat pipe respectively mounted in the at least one through hole of the metal holder base and adapted to absorb heat from a heat source at the circuit board and to transfer absorbed heat to the heat sink for dissipation. The at least one heat pipe each has a mounting portion respectively mounted in the at least one through hole of the metal holder base, and a cooling portion extending from the mounting portion at an angle to the outside of the metal holder base and fastened to the heat sink to support the heat sink outside the circuit board in a parallel relationship relative to the circuit board.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the cooling portion of each heat pipe is suspending outside the circuit board and kept in parallel to one lateral side of the circuit board such that currents of air induced by an external cooling fan toward the circuit board flow over the heat sink at the cooling portion of each heat pipe to carry heat away from the heat sink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique front elevation of a cooler system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cooler system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an oblique back elevation of the cooler system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the cooler system installed in a circuit board.

FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a cooler system according to the prior art.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of another design of cooler system according to the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1˜3, a cooler system in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a holder base 1 and a cooler module 2.

The holder base 1 is a metal member of high coefficient of heat transfer, having a through hole 11, a plurality of radiation fins 12 protruded from the top wall thereof, and a mounting structure 13 provided at the bottom wall thereof. The mounting structure 13 comprises a metal clamping device 131. The metal clamping device 131 is comprised of a metal upper clamping plate 1311 and a metal bottom clamping plate 1312. The metal upper clamping plate 1311 and the metal bottom clamping plate 1312 are fastened to the bottom wall of the holder base 1 with fastening members 1313.

The cooler module 2 comprises a heat pipe 21, a heat sink 22, and a holding-down device 23. The heat pipe 21 is an angled or U-shaped metal pipe having one end terminating in a mounting portion 211 and the other end terminating in a cooling portion 212. The cooling portion 212 is connected to the heat sink 22. The heat sink 22 is comprised of a plurality of radiation fins 221. The radiation fins 221 each have a mounting through hole 2211, which is coupled to the cooling portion 212 of the heat pipe 21, and two retaining notches 2212 disposed at two opposite sides. The holding-down device 23 comprises two retaining arms 231 respectively secured to the retaining notches 2212 of the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22, and a holding-down plate 232.

During the assembly process, the mounting portion 211 of the heat pipe 21 is inserted into the through hole 11 of the metal holder base 1, and then the heat sink 22 is attached to the cooling portion 212 of the heat pipe 21 outside the metal holder base 1, and then the holding-down device 23 is fastened to one side of the metal holder base 1 to hold down the heat sink 22 in place, and then the metal clamping device 131 of the mounting structure 13 is fastened to the bottom wall of the metal holder base 1 with the fastening members 1313. When assembled, the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22 are kept in a parallel relationship relative to the radiation fins 12 of the metal holder base 1.

As indicated, the cooling portion 212 of the heat pipe 21 is connected to the heat sink 22. During application of the present invention, the heat pipe 21 absorbs heat energy from the heat source and transfers absorbed heat energy to the cooling portion 212 for dissipation into the outside open air by the heat sink 22.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the metal holder base 1 and the cooler module 2 can be fastened to a circuit board (interface card) 3. In this case, the metal upper clamping plate 1311 and metal bottom clamping plate 1312 of the metal clamping device 131 are respectively clamped on the top and bottom sides of the circuit board 3 and then fastened with the circuit board 3 to the bottom wall of the metal holder base 1 with the fastening members 1313. When installed, the metal holder base 1 is firmly secured to the top side of the circuit board 3, the cooling portion 212 of the heat pipe 21 extends outside the circuit board 3 in parallel to one side edge of the circuit board 3, and the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22 are supported on the cooling portion 212 of the heat pipe 21 at one lateral side of the circuit board 3 in parallel to the radiation fins 12 of the metal holder base 1. Therefore, the installation of the cooler system does not occupy much surface space of the circuit board 3, allowing the circuit board 3 to be conveniently inserted into one interface slot of a motherboard (not shown) without interfering with surrounding electronic component parts at the motherboard, i.e., the invention fits the requirement for light, thin, small and short characteristics.

After installation of the cooler system in the circuit board 3, the heat module 2 is suspending outside the circuit board 3 and deviated from the heat dissipation direction and the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22 are disposed in parallel to the radiation fins 12 of the metal holder base 1 at the top side of the circuit board 3. When the external cooling fan (not shown) is started to induce currents of air toward the circuit board 3, the induced currents of air simultaneously carry heat away from the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22 of the cooler module 2. During operation of the circuit board 3, the heat pipe 21 absorbs heat from a heat source (CPU) 31 at the circuit board 3 and transfers absorbed heat to the heat sink 22 for dissipation into the outside open air.

As stated above, the cooler system of the present invention comprises a metal holder base 1, a cooler module 2 connected to the metal holder base 1 at one lateral side in such a manner that the radiation fins 221 of the heat sink 22 of the cooler module 2 are kept in parallel to the radiation fins 12 at the top side of the metal holder base 1, and a mounting structure 13 provided at the bottom side of the metal holder base 1 for securing the metal holder base 1 to a circuit board 3. Because the heat sink 22 of the cooler module 2 is suspending outside the circuit board 3, the cooler system does not occupy much surface space of the circuit board 3. When the circuit board 3 is installed in a motherboard, the cooler system does not interfere with the surrounding component parts at the motherboard.

In actual practice, the cooler system of the present invention has benefits as follows:

1. The cooler module 2 is suspending from one lateral side of the metal holder base 1 away from the heat dissipation direction and connected to the metal holder base 1 in a non-parallel manner. When the metal holder base 1 is affixed to a circuit board (interface card) 3, the angled or U-shaped heat pipe 21 of the cooler module 2 extends out of the circuit board 3 (metal holder base 1) to a distance and supports the heat sink 22 in such a position that the radiation fins 221 are kept in parallel to the radiation fins 12 at the metal holder base 1. Therefore, the cooler system does not occupy much surface space of the circuit board 3, i.e., the size (width) of the circuit board 3 can be minimized.

2. The cooler module 2 is abutted at one lateral side of the metal holder base 1 so that the cooler module 2 can absorb heat from the metal holder base 1 and dissipate absorbed heat into the outside open air efficiently.

3. The cooler module 2 is kept in parallel to the circuit board (interface card) 3. When cold air from the external cooling fan is flowing toward the circuit board 3, the flowing currents of cold air also flows over the cooler module 2 to carry heat away from the cooler module 2.

A prototype of cooler system has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1˜5. The cooler system functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cooler system comprising: a metal holder base, said metal holder base having at least one through hole; a mounting structure fastened to a circuit board to secure said metal holder base to said circuit board; and a cooler module, said cooler module comprising a heat sink, and at least one heat pipe respectively mounted in said at least one through hole of said metal holder base and adapted to absorb heat from a heat source at said circuit board and to transfer absorbed heat to said heat sink for dissipation; wherein said at least one heat pipe each has a mounting portion respectively mounted in the at least one through hole of said metal holder base, and a cooling portion extending from said mounting portion at an angle to the outside of said metal holder base and fastened to said heat sink to support said heat sink outside said circuit board in a parallel relationship relative to said circuit board.
 2. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting structure comprises a metal clamping device and a plurality of fastening members adapted to affix said metal clamping device to said circuit board and said metal holder base.
 3. The cooler system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said metal clamping device comprises a metal upper clamping plate and a metal bottom clamping plate respectively clamped on top and bottom sides of said circuit board.
 4. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metal holder base has a plurality of radiation fins at a top side thereof.
 5. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one heat pipe each is a L-shaped pipe having a first end terminating in said mounting portion and a second end terminating in said cooling portion.
 6. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one heat pipe each is a U-shaped pipe having a first end terminating in said mounting portion and a second end terminating in said cooling portion.
 7. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat sink has at least one mounting through hole respectively coupled to said cooling portion of each of said at least one heat pipe.
 8. The cooler system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat sink is comprised of a plurality of radiation fins, said radiation fins of said heat sink each having at least one mounting through hole respectively coupled to said cooling portion of each of said at least one heat pipe.
 9. The cooler system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a holding-down device fastened to said metal holder base to hold down said heat sink on said at least one heat pipe. 